Travel Theme : Eye to Eye…

A few months ago**(See footnote) when visiting the Brisbane Art Gallery I took a photo of this life-size elephant sculpture. It is rather magnificent, but a bit puzzling. Why is he standing on his head like a giant book end? I checked Google when I got back home…

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“More than a million dollars was spent on this single piece of art, commissioned by an artist who doesn’t live in Queensland or Australia for that matter.”

Ms Bates insisted her comments about government waste were “not a smear on the artist or the sculpture” but argued the state funding would have been better spent helping the Queensland arts sector.

The sculpture was funded by the state government’s art+place Queensland Public Art Fund and the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation.

It’s a pity that such expensive and non local artwork was chosen, interesting work or not. I do like it very much though. Glad you were able to put your phone to good use. I’m on my first i phone and may revert to Sony next time because their cameras are even better.

I’m glad you returned to this one PP – and three years has sped by SO fast it is quite scary! I had read about this sculpture on DJ’s site, as I felt the elephant to be rather obscure for Australia, but her explanation puts it in to context. If only it were true. The little man overturning the rich and powerful…

Very cool PP.
And did you see the chair? Where you can sit and ponder the art? I featured this sculpture in one of my changing seasons posts last year. Here’s what I found out in my research:
The World Turns: The Elephant, The Kuril (local native water rat) which looks the Elephant in the eye and a Chair. Artist: New Zealand artist Michael Parekowhai. It’s a great piece, which draws people in, young and old, to ponder what it means. It is an elephant-shaped bookend that is tipped over. “With warm blessing and consent of traditional Elder Uncle Des Sandy, The World Turns acknowledges the kuril as the caretaker of the site, who upends the elephant with all its cultural and intellectual weight. Visitors may sit on the chair and contemplate the work, with their gaze directed at the kuril.” (QAGOMA website).

Hi p – love the footnotes – and I have so much success with my iPhone it has become my main tool!

How interesting this is as art – a bookend! And the water rat is interesting – but the entire position of the elephant makes me unsettled – I guess they were going for effect – but it seems like a storm blew by and they have not gotten back – because even as a bookend we would want our elephant righted? Or maybe it indirectly represents the Controversy over this very expensive piece….

And footnote for me – it feels like three years ago was just here! Oh my oh my!

So much to ponder Y, the loss of elephants, the take over of the Aboriginal lands, The Kuril as caretaker of the land not really to bothered about what is going on. I couldn’t believe 3 years since last visit…

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60 something female, ( now 70 I have been doing this blog 3 years) fit and active, loves travel, reading, walking. Born in Yorkshire, UK. Moved to New Zealand, love the country. Became a "Kiwi" lived there 37 years, son and daughter still live there. Moved to Australia because I now live with and love an Australian that I met in NZ and am now an Aussie citizen.